Why the Earth Day March for Science Was “Unprecedented”

Protesters gather in Philadelphia for the National March for Science on April 22, 2017.

NurPhoto

On Saturday, Earth Day, tens of thousands of nerds descended on Washington, D.C. and major cities around the world to take part in the March for Science, a protest organized in response to the budget cuts the Trump administration has proposed for federal science programs.

Stanford University science professor Robert Proctor told The Washington Post, “The march is pretty unprecedented in terms of the scale and breadth of the scientific community that’s involved, and it does recall Physicians for Social Responsibility and various scientific groups against nuclear war in the Reagan era, that’s I think the most recent precedent. But this is even broader in the sense that there’s a broader perception of a massive attack on sacred notions of truth that are sacred to the scientific community.”

The march could also be read as a response to the Trump administration’s cries of “fake news” and continual disavowal of basic climate science by a community dedicated to the pursuit of provable truth. Many celebrities turned out for the march and also voiced their support for the protest on social media.

The White House issued its own Earth Day statement (with no mention of the march), saying that the administration is committed to “reducing unnecessary burdens” on American workers and companies, while also working to safeguard our natural resources: “We can and must protect our environment without harming America’s working families.”